Method of and apparatus for producing alkali salts.



Patented Aug. 22, 1899.

C. KELLNER.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ALKALI SALTS.

(No Model.)

(Application fi1 ed Oct. 23, 1897.)

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CARL KELLNER, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ALKALI SALTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. dated August 1899.

Application filed October 23, 1897. Serial No. 656,196. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL KELLNER, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, residing at Vienna, in the Province of Lower Austria,in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Methods of and Apparatus for the Production of AlkaliSalts; and I do hereby declare the following to he afull, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to electrolytic apparatus, and more particularly tothe economic arrangement and connection of cells, so as to give as largean output as possible for a given current. It is a well-known fact thatin electrolytic-decomposing apparatus provided with a mercury cathodethere is sometimes considerable difficulty in eliminating from theamalgams formed by the cathions an equal number of cathions in the sameunit of time in which the aforesaid cathions are set free from theelectrolyte by the action of the current. To avoid this inconvenience,recourse has been had to several different manipulations-such as, forinstance, first, separation of the amalgam by means of the difference ofspecific gravity; second, separation by centrifugal apparatus in whichthe lighter amalgam remains in contact with the dissolving fluid intheinterior of the centrifugal drum,(in a manneranalogous to theseparation of cream from milk in a centrifugal separation) while theheavier mercury goes to the periphery; third, by stirring with boilingwater; fourth, by treating with steam, and, fifth, by so connecting theamalgam in the main circuit that the mercury is working in thedecomposing-cell as an anode and in the oxidizing-cell as a cathode ofthe decomposingcurrent furnished by the machine. All these manipulationshave proved inappropriate for this purpose. I have succeeded in findinga system of electrical connection by means of which the amalgam can befreed from the cathion as rapidly as it becomes enriched therewith andwithout resorting to special manipulations, which are apt to incommodethe practical working, and without recourse to bipolar electricalconnection, which will oxidize the mercury.

Referring to the drawings, in which like cells.

decomposing and oxidizing cells having a mercury electrode common toboth and in which the decomposing-cell is connected with the generatorand the oxidizing-cell is shortcircuitedand included as a shunt in thereturn-line to the generator. Fig. 2 is a system similar to Fig. 1, buthaving the mercury connection mechanically broken between the two Fig. 3is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a system in which the current flowsfrom the decomposing to the oxidizing cell and thence through thereturn-circuit to the generator, the oxidizing-cell beingshort-circuited and shunted in the main circuit Fig. 4 is a view similarto Fig. 3, the oxidizing-cell being short-circuited through the liquidand included in the return-circuit. In these last three figures thesecondary cathode forms also a part of the main metallic circuit.

The decomposing-cell of a continuouslyoperating electrolytic apparatusis indicated by a and the oxidizing-cell by b. It will be understoodthat I can use a number of pairs of such cells and connect them eitherin series or in parallel to obtain the best results and conform to theexigencies of the particular plant and the local conditions; but for thepurpose of the present description I have shown only two cells in eachfigure, one a decomposing and the other an oxidizing cell. The anode 1of the decomposing-cell is connected to the positive terminal of anysuitable source of electricity 3, and indicated in the drawings by agenerator. The cathode 2 of the same cell is connected to the negativeterminal of the generator by direct connections, as shown in Figs. 1 and2, and indirectly through the amalgam anode 2 of the oxidizing-cell b,forming an uninterrupted metallic circuit, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4,whileat the same time 'the anode 2 and the cathode 5 of theoxidizing-cell b in all the figures are short-cirouited. This shortcircuit is made by external connections in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and by theinternal connection, as in Fig. 4. Thus it is seen that the shortcircuit ofthe oxidizing-cell forms a shunt that is included in the maincircuit, or rather in the returnline of the main circuit, and thesecondary current set up in the oxidizing-chamber by the action of theamalgam on the solvent is in a direction opposite to the main current.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is-- 1. An electrolytic apparatus comprising adecomposing-cell having electrodes, a source of electric supplyconnected therewith, an oxidizing-cell having electrodes and a shortcircuit for the latter electrodes forming part of the supply-circuit,substantially as described.

2. An electrolytic apparatus comprising a decomposing-cell havingelectrodes, a source of electric supply connected therewith, anoxidizing-cell having electrodes and a shortcircuit connection for thelatter electrodes within the cell forming part of the supplycireuit,substantially as described.

3. An electrolytic apparatus comprising a decomposing-cell havingelectrodes, the an ode of which is connected to the positive terminal ofa supply-circuit, an oxidizing-cell having electrodes, metallicconnections between the cathode of the decomposing-cell and the anode ofthe oxidizing-cell and the latter anode connected to the negativeterminal of the supplycircuit, and a short circuit for the electrodes ofthe oxidizing-cell forming part of the supply-circuit, substantially asdescribed.

4. In an electrolytic apparatus comprising a decomposing-cell providedwith a suitable anode and a mercury cathode and an oxidizin g-cellprovided with an amalgam anode and suitable cathode, a source ofelectric supply, a metallic connection between the electrodes of theoxidizing-cell, a metallic connection from the anode and cathode of thedecomposing-cell to the source of electric supply, the metallicconnection between the cathode of the electrolytic cell and the negativepole of the source of electricity serving as a portion of the metallicconductor between the electrodes of the oxidizing-cell, substantially asdescribed.

5. An electrolytic apparatus comprising a decomposingcell provided withan anode and a mercury cathode, a source of electric supply, connectionstherewith, and an oxidizingcell provided with an amalgam anode and asuitable cathode, and a metallic connection between the latterelectrodes and the negative pole of the source of electric supply, thecathode of the oxidizing-cell forming part of the circuit of thedecomposing-cell, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electrolytic apparatus comprising a decomposing-cell, an anodeand cathode therefor, a source of electric supplyand connectionstherewith, and an oxidizing-cell separate from the decomposing-cell, amercury connection between the cathode of the decon1posing-cell andanode of the oxidizingcell and a short circuit for the electrode of theoxidizing-cell forming part of the supplycircuit, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an electrolytic apparatus comprising two cells, an anode in oneand a cathode in the other, a bipolar electrode lying in both cells, asource of electric supply for the first cell and connected therewith,and a short circuit for the electrodes of the second cell forming a partof the circuit connections of the first cell, for the purpose set forth.

8. An electrolytic apparatus comprising a decomposing-cell havingelectrodes, the anode of which is connected to the positive terminal ofa supply-circuit, an oxidizing-cell having electrodes, metallicconnections between the cathode of the decomposing-cell and the cathodeof the oxidizing-cell, the latter cathode connected to the negative poleof the supply-circuit, a short circuit for the electrodes of theoxidizing-cell forming part of the supply-circuit, and electricalconnections between the anode of the oxidizing-cell and the positivepole of the source of electricity, substantially as described.

9. A method ofproducing alkali salts,which consists in electrolyzing asolution of a suitable substance in a cell having a mercury cathodeforming an amalgam, transferring said amalgam to a second cell connectedwith the first cell and decomposing the amalgam by means of a suitablesolvent, while pass ing therethrough the electrolyzing-current and thesecondary current produced by metallically connecting the electrodes ofsaid second cell, substantially as set forth.

10. A method of producing alkali salts, which consists in electrolyzinga solution of a suitable substance in a cell having a mercury cathodethereby forming an amalgam, transferring and decomposing said amalgam ina second cell having electrodes in series with those in the first cell,by means of a suitable solvent while passing therethrough theelectrolyzing-current and the secondary current produced by metallieally connecting the electrodes of the second cell, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL KELLNER. lVitnesses:

ALvIs ZwIcKEn, HUGO RoDERFF.

